Hydrogen molecules and atoms are used in many commercial and industrial applications. Generally, hydrogen may be used for upgrading petroleum feed stock to more useful products. In addition, hydrogen is used in many chemical reactions for reducing or synthesizing compounds. For example, hydrogen is a primary chemical reactant in the production of cyclohexane, ammonia, and methanol. Moreover, hydrogen is recently becoming a fuel of choice because it reduces green house emissions. Specifically, hydrogen may be used in fuel cells and other similar applications to produce a substantially clean source of electricity for powering industrial machines and automobiles. Also, hydrogen may be incorporated into petroleum products to displace or remove sulfur, nitrogen, and unsaturated and aromatic chemicals, such as benzenes.
Several methods are known to remove or generate hydrogen from hydrocarbon compounds. Although many sources of hydrocarbon compounds may be used to generate hydrogen, methane or natural gas is most commonly used. These gases travel easily through various mechanisms and also serve as fuel in various reforming and generation processes. Hydrogen generation techniques generally include steam methane reformers and pressure swing absorbers. Other hydrogen production systems exploit the byproducts from various industrial processes and the electrical decomposition of water.